Louis baecker



(No Model.) L. 'BAEGKER. BICYCLE TIRE.

No. 599,888. 7 Patehted Mar. 1, 1898.

WITNESSES I [NVENI'OQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BAECKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E.ANDREWS, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,888, dated March 1,1898.

Application filed July 12, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LoUIs BAECKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Bicycle-Tires and otherArticles ofManufacture and the Process of Man ufacturing the Same; and I declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

My invention is designed to provide a new article of'manufacture adaptedfor various uses, the same having'special reference to the constructionof a bicycle-fire, although I do not limit myself solely to theapplication of my invention to form tires, as my invention contemplatesthe formation of other articles also in the manner hereinafterspecified.

My invention consists of articles of manufacture and the process oftheir construction, as hereinafter described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, the description and drawinghaving reference morespecifically to the constructionof a bicycle-tire.v

The drawing is a View partly in elevation and in cross-section.

I carry out my invention as follows:

In the formation of my improved articles of manufacture-as abicycle-tire,for instance I employ a mass of pulp matter made of anysuitable fiber, preferably a capillary fiber of any proper .1naterialashair, for example said fiber being worked in any desired manner intoirregular, crimped, curled, or felted condition. The fiber worked intosuch a condition is then suitably compressed into required shape to formthe desired article, as a bicycle-tire, the compression not only shapingthefiber into desired form, but also aiding to make the fiberimpervious. After desired compression the article is made furthermoreimpervious by being treated wit-h a suitable solution adapted for thatpurpose-as, for example, with a solution of sodium or potassiumsilicate-the article being treated by such solution in any propermanner-as,

Serial No. 644,188. (No model.)

for example, by immersion of the article in said solution. The solutionmay penetrate the fiber to any desired extent to render the sameperfectly impervious and tohold the compressed fiber in compressedcondition. After the article has been so treated by a proper solution myinvention contemplates making it Waterproof by immersing the article inor coating the article with paraffin or oil or other suitablepreparation adapted for that purpose. The article, as a bicycle-tire,may then be finished by polishing the exterior of the fiber so treated,or, as in the case of a bicycle-tire, by application to the exteriorthereof of a suitably-prepared gum, as gum-gutta.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, A denotes a tire formed inaccordance with my invention, the interior or body of which, asindicated at A, is formed of fiber, preferably of capillary fiber, inthe manner hereinbefore described. When the fiber has been shaped andcompressed into required form and density, it is treated with thesolution to make it impervious. The solution may be caused to penetrateto the body or penetrate the tire from the exterior to thedotted line,(indicated at a.) Obviously the less said solution penetrates thearticle the more resilient will it be, and for the -manufacture of tiresI prefer that the solution should only penetrate part way to the centeror only sufficient to secure the object in view. The paraffin, oil, oranalogous material may also penetrate the tire any required distance as,for example, to the outer dotted line, (indicated at a.) For an exteriorcoating of the same suitably-prepared gum is employed. The same may beof any required thickness on the exterior of the fiber, the same beingindicated in the drawing, for example, at (1 The fiber so treated forother-purposes may be shaped as required. It may be flattened, forexample, into a sheet or layer for certain uses.

When used for the manufacture of bicycletires,the tire is madepractically punctureless, while it is also a solid tire of superior durability. A tire so made may also be made of lighter weight than tirescommonly in use, while, also, a tire so made may possess a very gooddegree of resilience. A tire so made has no valves, requires no infiation, and obviously will not be liable to injury and consequentrepairs, as in the case of pneumatic tires. At the same time a tire somade is not liable to slip. These points of advantage make a tire soformed very superior to those heretofore in common use.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself solely to the useof a solution precisely such as I have described; but my inventioncontemplates the use of any suitable solution which may assist in makingthe tire impervious and firm.

It will be understood that the compression of the fiber together withits treatment by a suitable solution, as a solution of sodium orpotassium silicate, will render the tire impervious to puncture oftacks, particles of glass, or analogous material.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. An article of manufacture formed offiber Worked into crimped, curled or analogous condition, said fiberbeing compressed and treated with a solution of silicate as described torender the articleimpervious on its exterior, and with a solution ofparaffin to make the article waterproof, substantially as set forth.

2. An article of manufacture formed of capillary fiber worked intocrimped, curled or analogous condition, said fiber being compressed andtreated with a solution of silicate as described, to render the articleimpervious on its exterior, and with paraffin to make the articlewaterproof, said solutions only partially penetrating said articleleaving the illterior resilient, for the purpose set forth.

A solid bicycle-tire formed of fiber worked into crimped, curled oranalogous condition, said fiber being compressed and treated with asolution of silicate to render the tire impervious and also withparaffin to render the tire waterproof, said tire provided with anexterior covering of prepared gum, for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein described process of constructing a solid bicycletireconsisting of working capillary fiber into irregular, crimped or curledcondition compressing the same to form the tire, then treating the fiberwith a solution penetrating the fiber and rendering it impervious on itsexterior, the tire being also treated with paraffin to render itWaterproof, for the purpose set forth.

5. A resilient solid bicycle-tire made of capillary fiber worked intocrimped, curled or analogous condition, said fiber being compressed andtreated with a solution of silicate, and with paraffin, substantially asand in the manner set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS BAECKER.

Vitnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, MARY IIICKEY.

